


Dragon Song

by captilima



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: M/M, anyways same old same old - slowburn, bUT THIS TIME WITH MAGIC!, i'm sorry I keep coming up with aus but I'm a slut for them okay, listen this is what's been taking up most of my attention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-10-25 06:42:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10758840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captilima/pseuds/captilima
Summary: Two princes come to learn about themselves and each other





	1. Chapter 1

The kingdom was beautiful, it had been his home for so long, but he knew he could no longer stay here. He had waited, bided his time, and he knew that his sister was going to be left behind, but he had faith in Lillie. He knew that she would get out of there soon, or he’d come back for her.

But the most recent outburst had proven that he could no longer be here.

Tying his bag shut he slung it over his shoulder and took a deep breath before opening the door and heading down the hallway quickly. His mother had no idea what he was planning, which he was going to use to his advantage; as he was walking through the long hallways the more his confidence grew. There was going to be a chance of doing dangerous things with his gifts, but he would be free, and he had a decent amount of control over his magic that it shouldn’t be that much of a problem, right?

Unfortunately his thoughts were cut short as two guards took him in, before they could notice he cast a glamour over his bag. “Prince Gladion, is there something we can help you with?”

Of course if he trusted these men he would certainly ask for them to find him safe passage out of here, but he knew that if word got back to his mother that he had been asking for a way away from the kingdom the hunt would be on. And right now Gladion needed all the head start that he could get from here. “No, certainly not, simply out for a walk. Keep up the good work.” A lie on both accounts, but they did not question him, allowing him to pass and around the corner, and he picked up his pace now.

Aether, he realized, was a beautiful kingdom surrounded by ocean which played on the whites of the wall, the gold details looking more white in the dark of night as he crossed past the large windows towards the large staircase that led down to the main entrance; it may have not been the best way to leave, but it was certainly the most satisfying. Pushing the large doors open he didn’t look over his shoulder once because if he had then he would feel so much regret and perhaps not leave.

And Gladion had to leave his kingdom, no matter how much it hurt him to do so.

Getting out of the palace was the hard part, he realized, because now that he was out of the high walls everything was much more peaceful. Out here he felt as if he could breath for a moment, and taking in a deep gulp of salty sea air he realized that this was the first time in a very long time he felt this way. Out here he slowed himself down, dropping the glamour on his bag and taking in the nature of the town; quiet yet serene. There was no threat of what would come to him if he denied his mother once more, out here he was not a prince, he was simply a boy who was out for a walk. Of course had he spoken with the people they would recognize him, but in the dark of the night his people were sound asleep, tucked in their beds. The only people out here were beggars (to which Gladion gave a simple coin) and those wishing to find themselves in this world (to which he categorized himself). If not for his mother finding him Gladion wondered if perhaps he could make a life out here, desert his crown and title, and make a life as a regular person.

Almost as soon as he had the thought he already chastised himself, his mother’s voice reminding him that he was a prince and as such would never last past the walls for more than a day before crawling back.

When he was younger the golden prince would have believed that, had believed that for so long but now he knew if he remained that way it would be the death of him. Tightening the grip on his bag he took a deep breath and carried himself down the cobblestone path, pausing at an intersection as he looked around. He didn’t know the path, any time he had been out of the walls had been with his mother and a carriage who knew the way. A prince never needed to know how to get around his own kingdom, because he would have someone to guide him. With each step, each new challenge he realized how infuriating his mother’s thought process truly was, and was grateful to be apart from it.

Again her voice ruined that joy, honey sweet tone as she reminded him that he was currently failing his dearest sister. That if he were truly a good person he would turn around and bring her with him.

There was not enough funds for both of them, there was no way they would be able to survive; besides he had already sworn to come back for her when he had a home and a life that she would be able to have safe passage and protection from. She may have to wait a bit longer, but she’d never have to endure the hardships he would outside the bubble of a life she currently lived. Making the decision was easy, though, as he could see the harbor was to the right and so he turned his attention that way, because if he could find safe passage then he was going to be okay and this entire plan would be a success.

The problem with escaping in the middle of the night, though, was that finding anyone to talk to for a trip on their ship was incredibly difficult. Either everyone was in the tavern (far too dangerous for Gladion to show up there) or they were asleep and he couldn’t just stowaway onboard. He could use magic, but he wasn’t sure how long that would last and wouldn’t that just be ironic if he ended up drowning in the middle of the ocean because his magic ran out on him. 

Gripping his bag he stared at the harbor and considered getting a room at the inn or sleeping in an alley and trying in the morning when he spotted someone; she was older than him, but the spring in her step revealed how much life she had within her and Gladion was certain she was his ticket off this island.

“Excuse me!” Too polite, but it managed to catch her attention and an arched brow caused his heart to leap into his throat as he quickly trotted down the stairs. “Can I have a moment of your time?”

“What do you want, boy?” There was a clear class difference with how they spoke, her accent was thick, words clipped. Gladion had only ever heard this accent in that of the common folk that his mother looked down upon highly, but he had never thought of it one way or another. Sure they didn’t sound as smart, but he didn’t think of them as any less as his mother had. “Speak quick.”

Pausing he made himself smile and nodding, “I was wondering if you knew of any ship I could gain safe passage on?”

The woman smirked, her gaze softening as she took him in and Gladion wondered just what she saw in him. “Where ya headin’ to, boy?” There was something oddly endearing being called anything but prince or sir or any of the titles he had been raised with. Yet there was something suspicious about the way she narrowed his eyes the longer they stood there, taking each other. “What’s your name?”

Ah, she was suspicious of who he was. Tilting his head back and forth he gave her a smile, “I’m heading wherever the ship is going, I’ve got no real destination, nothing left here in Aether.” His name? That was something trickier to get around. “Gladion.” Why lie, if Lusamine wanted to come after him it didn’t matter how much or how little of a trail he left, she would manage to find him. Perhaps she would handle the situation as she had his father, at first there was rage, she had caused earthquakes that had turned into dangerously high waves in other kingdoms, for days after their father’s sudden disappearance.

“Like the prince?”

“The same.”

“What does a prince want to do getting out of his kingdom?”

“What does a lady want to know?” He would challenge her no matter what. “All I want is a way off this island, do you have a way or not?” For someone pressured for time he was oddly calm. “Please?”

She stared at him and then nodded, “I got a ship. It won’t be leaving until sun up, but you can get on board, hide below decks. You’ll be good.” Gladion nodded, fixing his bag before then following after her. The ship she led him to was nothing magnificent, and it was definitely not one that anyone would look for him on. It was a small boat, dark wood, with light green detailing on it. Climbing up the plank and on board Gladion looked around, taking it all in. “N! Where are you?”  
The boy that appeared looked as if he were half asleep as he rubbed his eyes before then reaching back and tying his long green hair back. “Why are you yelling?” he spoke softly, “there’s no need to do so, I’m awake.”

“I have a guest for you.” Gladion then felt the green eyes on him, soft and warm, far too inviting for his comfort. “He doesn’t have a destination, he’s just looking to see the world. Kind of like you.”

Somehow the way she said that made Gladion feel like there was much more to the story than she let on, but this man...N...looked at him with such warmth and acceptance that it was hard to believe that this guy had anything bad happen to him at any point. “Thank you, Concordia.” Then he gave his full attention to him. “Hello, I’m N. And you are?”

A pause, his name was just a letter for a name? Perhaps the other kingdoms were far more diverse than Gladion had learned before. “I’m Gladion. Thank you,” he couldn’t forget his manners, “this is really very kind of you.”

The two of them swapped looks, but N simply nodded, “please, no need to thank me. We’re all wary travelers in need of a hand at one point or another. Now, I’m sure you’re tired, you certainly look so. Come, I’ll show you your quarters.”

\---

The small queendom of Melemele was not a boastful nation, they didn’t even have an army. Their queen over many years had learned that her people did not need more than a small militia, her family single guards, and they could leave in peace. Strong allies had always served them well, and in response Melemele had become a well known supplier for armies of other nations.

Their royal family was a total of three people, Queen Mahina, King Kapono, and their son, the Crowned Prince Ilima were all royals that people were proud of, even other kingdoms looked to them as examples. Yet it had not all been happy in this queendom, not when there had been war in others and Ilima had wanted (nearly demanded) they raise an army up to give support. The young prince was rather hot blooded when it came to this matter, thinking that an army on standby would not be a bad thing to have yet the queen never seemed to think about it any other way.

Yet something had changed in the royal family as they had come together and Ilima was found to rule as much as both of his parents, almost in the form of a triumvirate though more power was obviously reserved for the queen, then the king, and finally the prince. It had provided a form of peace among the three, and it had found Ilima in charge of the small militia and guards that they had. Sadly, though, the prince proved to be poor with any weapon they gave him, and there were jokes among the soldiers that he had his head in the clouds hoping that he’d somehow gain magic ability.

Ilima, though, refused to believe in magic. At one point the concept had fascinated him, but when it had been shown to him time and again that it was nothing that existed in this world, was not something he could actually analyze he lost all interest in it.

Though instead of following his duties as a prince, Ilima currently shifted in the saddle as his horse began to climb up the rocky path towards the top of the mountain; it was dangerous, especially to go alone as he was right now, but the prince had been making this trek for years now after his father had shown him and when he needed to think something over he found himself drifting towards this private spot. It wasn’t anything special, just a small cave that you could see the back wall of from the entrance and light filtering in from overtop but it mean the world to Ilima. As far as he was aware this was the private place that only his father knew about and would even think to come looking for him. Once up the dangerous slope the prince slid off his horse, took the reins and led the beast inside.

If one was to ask what big decision was to be made by this young prince, though, he would not be able to give you an answer. There was no pressing matter in his life aside from the soldiers who mocked him, and of which he was currently avoiding which was (undoubtedly) adding fuel to their fire. Perhaps that’s what had brought him up here, to figure out a way to handle them without his naturally short temper taking over. Settling within the yellow flowers he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and allowing the serenity to wash over him, relaxing him. His mother may send soldiers to find him, but they’d never find him. This was his secret place, and even if they climbed the mountain they would likely not find it, the entrance was large enough to fit his horse through but it blended in with the rest of the landscape that if you didn’t know what to look for you would miss it quite easily.

Right now though he allowed himself to soak in the serenity of this moment before letting his thoughts take over. He was good at swordplay, he was able to command respect. Why couldn’t his soldiers respect him? What if he made an example of one of them, but for what and how ruthless would that make him? He wanted respect, yes, but the last thing he wanted to seem like was a ruthless dictator towards his men. Perhaps if he beat one in combat that would make them respect him, especially if it was the captain of the guards. Sighing he knew he’d never be able to do that with ease, yes he was good at swordplay but he wasn’t as good as the captain was. Twisting his lips up, he stretched out as he decided to rest in the flowers, letting one tickle his nose. “Ilima?”

Startled he shot right up, looking around despite recognizing the voice was his father’s. Laughter followed and he reached up to brush his hair free of the petals that had apparently decided to decorate his hair. “I...I’m sorry, is something happening?” His mind started to run through all the different options as to why his father would come up here to find him. Then it hit him, “We’re expecting company, aren’t we?”  
“We are and you’re running behind. Come on.” Nodding instantly Ilima went to grab the reins of his horse, guiding him up the ramp he had trotted down and found a space to munch on the grass and wildflowers. “Your mother’s worried sick about you not being ready.”

“Sorry, I just...I have a lot on my mind.” It was only a partial lie, he realized as he said it. “The soldiers are a real handful.”

“I understand, but you’re going to give your mother grief if you’re not ready for the time our guests arrive.” His father was kind, but firm, a good king Ilima realized and one he hoped to emulate someday. Yes, his mother was a wonderful queen, had a personality that people fawned over, but he hoped to be like his father more than her. Perhaps it was a matter of preference, but he loved them both so deeply. Putting the thoughts of which parent he enjoyed more and the future of his kingdom, Ilima took the reins of his horse and began the descent down the mountain once more.

Once at their quaint home (deemed that way by other royals who were impressed they chose to live in such modest quarters) Ilima took a moment to stand bare in his bedroom, allowing himself to breathe. His doctors had always advised him to go no longer than eight hours, and so now he stood there, allowing his body to feel the cool ocean air as it drifted in through the open doors that led to the balcony. Bringing a hand up he ran the flat of his hand over his curves, feeling his femininity as a shiver ran through him. No, his body was not right, it did not match with how he felt, but he had come to terms with that with a bit of changes that he did everyday. Taking a deep breath he dropped his hands before picking up his binder once more and slipping it on with the ease that came with years of practice.

Next was dressing which did not take that long, slipping it on with ease before tying his hair up and heading down the stairs to join his mother. “Ah, there you are.” she spoke calmly as she wrapped around him in a hug, “I do hope you’re ready for this.”

“As always, mother,” the words were soft and polite, “I always enjoy seeing the princesses.” They stopped long enough to go over the customs and how they would spend their day after greeting their guests before stepping through the ornate red colored doors and into the courtyard where two girls stood, chatting. Ilima had always felt off when seeing the girls in their long dresses, but now he saw Mallow in a simple sundress which seemed to suit her better, and Lana had decided to match and both carried a bright grin as they saw him. “Princess Mallow, Princess Lana.”

A scoff from the young blue haired girl and a wave of her hand, “please, formalities aren’t necessary with us, and you know that.”

“Besides, we’re not here for anything serious, just to visit.”

Ilima blushed, his mother had mentioned it, but had put a stress on them treating this as a formal event. “Ah, right.” Making himself laugh he glanced at his mother, who was busy talking to the parents of his friends so he decided now was not the time to mention anything to her. Instead he chose to move on, taking Mallow in first, pressing their noses together and sharing a breath, to which he repeated with Lana. After the greeting he folded his hands together, “I do, though, insist that I give you your gifts.”

Melemele custom had always dictated that both parties give the other gifts upon arrival, though depending on who was greeting one another changed the gift. Ilima had gotten his dear friends individual gifts (Mallow a new book of recipes and traditional fruit of the island picked from the top crop, and for Lana a wonderful new form of bait that they had discovered that would bring more fish for her), and for the servants they had brought he gently set a lei of ilima flowers around them. Despite knowing he should not be expectant the prince found himself rather curious as to what they had gotten him. When it was only Mallow that moved he wondered what it could be, and what they were going to attempt to pass as a group gift.

“Now, we know you aren’t usually accepting of us giving you one gift from the both of us, but this time we really did find it together.” Lana explained as Mallow carried the item back, “and I know how fond you are of mysteries.”

The item he came to realize was something he had never seen, it was an egg, and yes he had seen those before but nothing like this. This egg came up to his knee with ease and was a beautiful scarlet in color and faded to a black at the base, and it sent his mind reeling in an instant. “Well?”

“He loves it.”

He honestly didn’t care who was speaking as he knelt down to touch the egg, feeling...something...coming from it. He didn’t know how to describe it, it wasn’t heat, it wasn’t anything he could describe with words. “I, thank you both very much.” Carefully he tested the weight, finding that it was almost impossible for him to pick up, but he managed. This was something he wanted to look into in private, but right now he had to play host to his friends even though he knew they would understand entirely his mother wouldn’t. Instead he passed it off to a servant, “put it in my room, near the fire and start it, keep it going but not uncontrolled, just enough to warm the egg.”

This was going to be very interesting, whatever was in there.

\---

Ilima had not been expecting to be kept away from his room until that night, though he was not complaining. Of course he loved spending time with his closest friends and family, catching up with what was going on in the other kingdoms. Yes, it was good to be social, in many ways, but now that he was able to retreat to his room the sight of the scarlet egg sent his heart racing all over again. How could it not? In the darkness it looked even more gorgeous, he realized, than it had in the light. Kneeling before it he allowed his fingers to brush over the hard layer, taking in how it felt rigid beneath tips. “What are you?” He asked softly.

He remembered one afternoon as a child that he and his father had taken a trip to the falconers to see the new baby hawks hatch. Certainly he hadn’t been allowed to get so close before, but after they hatched and the man had managed to get the broken shells away from the mother Ilima remembered holding it. Those eggs had been smoother than this, and much smaller of course. This looked like it had come from something much larger, but he couldn’t think of any creatures that were that large in the world, not without reminding himself that such things were fantasy and best left to children’s fairytales. Yet there was a childlike fascination that hoped that maybe this was the proof he needed. 

Putting his curiosity aside he made his way into bed, barely drifting to sleep before hearing the sound of people rushing through the halls which roused him from bed once more, quickly grabbing the nearest article of clothing that would allow him to hide everything as he moved to the balcony. While it primarily overlooked the ocean if he looked down the prince could see the courtyard, or at least majority of it. Within the walls there appeared to be a decent mount of armored men, which instantly startled him into action without thinking about it. Heading down the stairs Ilima forced his way to the courtyard despite the protests of servants and knights that stood at the ready, only to be greeted by the white and gold of Aether.

This was certainly something Ilima would have to sit in on, given the recent tensions between the two countries. After Aether’s king had passed and Lusamine had stepped in as Queen a fair amount of other countries had turned from them, thinking that Lusamine was an unfit ruler and that her son, Gladion, should have taken the throne. Ilima had been in agreement with that, though he had only met Gladion once or twice he had much more faith in him as a ruler than his mother. Which, currently, he was attempting to find his own but only found his father. “Where’s mother?”

“Getting ready.”

As he looked around the courtyard he found that it was indeed Melemele’s small army, his father, and himself as his mother was nowhere in sight. A glance over at the amount of men that Aether had brought he knew that there was no chance for them to even come close to defeating this threat, “but this is…this can only be solved by diplomacy, which we both know she demands to be in charge of.”

“And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given your temper, Ilima.” A sour look must have crossed his face because his father reached over to squeeze his shoulder. “Nothing wrong with wanting to flex your muscles, but we both know you’re still learning when that time is and isn’t. Now I wouldn’t worry, it doesn’t seem as if Aether has made any moves themselves.” It was very true, there were plenty of knights but there was no threat made right in this moment, instead it seemed that they were simply flexing their muscles but with no reason to be.

Coming down between the rows of knights, though, was a small figure, a large white hat bobbing on her head. “Princess Lillie,” Ilima greeted, holding out a hand to take hers and give a gentle kiss. “Whatever is this fanfare of knights for?” Lillie had always been a soft girl, sweet and loyal to her mother, and Ilima wondered what could have brought her here on her own, with so much protection.

Quickly she pulled her hand back, placing them at the edges of her dress in a polite fashion and she schooled herself into a gentle line despite the anxiety that played behind her eyes. “My brother, Prince Gladion of Aether, has gone missing. We do not suspect foul play, we’ve been informed that he was seen leaving the kingdom recently, though no known destination has been discovered.” His heart sank, he had noticed that they had not seemed happy at the last gala they had all attended. “My mother, though, has sent me with the message that if any kingdom is harboring him and does not turn him in we will see this as a threat. As you can see our army is much larger than yours, and we would like to take care of this civilly.”

War.

Lusamine was threatening war over her son that she had likely shoved away. Before he could speak his father cut him off, “what would you have of us to prove that we do not have your brother, Princess?” His tone was gentle, non-threatening, and Ilima wished he could master the same sort of calm.

Lillie reacted to this kindly as well, “we would have knights search your home and capitol, we would also like to leave some knights here in case he attempts to come into the city. My mother is willing to give you supplies needed to care for the troops so long as you provide a place for them to live.”

The terms seemed rather civil, but there was something that was not sitting right with him. “What will happen to Gladion if he is found, what happens _if_ we are harboring him right this second?” All hypotheticals, but he wanted to know.

“My mother would want answers as to why and action would be determined from there, as for Gladion that is private.” A pause. “Do you comply?”

“We should wait for mother.”

“Yes, if you would allow us to wait for our Queen to come down as she is the actual ruling figure.” Lillie nodded and turned to speak with one of the knights. This was all too surreal, she seemed so calm (though closer inspection Ilima noticed that she was trembling) and Gladion was in trouble. Again he had never truly spent time with the prince as the kingdom had always been a bit more guarded than open, but what he remembered of Gladion it was nothing but fondness. Soon his mother emerged from within, looking as if she had never been to sleep.

After her husband informed her of what was going on, she turned her attention to her son, “is there something you’re not telling us?” her words were soft, meant only for him, and he shook his head. “So were you posing hypotheticals?”

“Always.”

“And you have no idea where Gladion could be?”

“We stopped exchanging letters a long while ago, I have no idea.”

A nod and then she turned to Lillie, giving her permission to send her knights through their home, but the city would have to wait until the morning when people were awake to be informed. It was never going to be accepted if knights just began ransacking houses, this took a bit of negotiating but when Lillie realized that Mahina was not backing down she had no option but to agree finally.

After they came up empty handed Ilima put some of his knights on duty to show the newcomers a way to the barracks would they would be staying while not on duty to find their prince. It was almost sun up by the time the prince finally managed to climb into bed, staring out onto the ocean for a long while, wondering what the other was getting into in that moment, and as he closed his eyes he prayed that he was safe wherever he had gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Ilima didn’t know what time it was when he woke up, shaken awake by his father who then pressed a finger to his lips and motioned for him to follow. Slowly he slipped out and began to dress for the day, only to be stopped short. “No time for that,” which surprised him, especially considering his father had always been one to make sure he presented as male when anything happened. Blinking he allowed his father to lead him out of the room, fixing himself so that he looked a bit more presentable even in pajamas he stumbled after his father unable to keep up with his quick pace.

At least he knew where they were going, that didn’t mean he was excited for it, though. They were headed out towards the barracks, and more importantly the war room; flashes of what Lillie had threatened the country with came back through his mind and while he was all for defending his people he wasn’t sure he was ready to take the helm as commander of the army. Besides what little of an army they did have he was very aware was not enough to take on a powerhouse like Aether, and by the time allies were called upon? It would be too late, surely. Yet when he entered the room it was simply his mother, her personal guard standing there, and Hala - the top advisor and instant communication between people and royal family.

“Have a seat, Ilima.”

Calmly he lowered himself into a chair and looked around at everyone that was around him. “Why did you wake me up? Did something happen?”

“Not yet.” his mother’s words were soft and warm, yet somehow firm and biting. “We just want to make sure nothing does happen, Ilima.”

Now he narrowed his eyes and glanced between them, “you really think I was lying when I said I didn’t know where Gladion was? I truly haven’t spoken to him in years. We used to send letters but they suddenly stopped; why would I lie and put our country at risk? All of us in this room knows that our military strength is not capable of taking on even the smallest thing Aether throws at us, because we’re not allowed to have a military, Mother.” a glance to her and a roll of her eyes. “Regardless, if I were stupid enough to lie I would have already sent out letters to get reinforcements, but I was being honest when I said I have not seen or heard from Gladion recently enough to know where or what he’s up to.” He understood that he was beginning to sound a bit aggressive, but he had been pulled out of bed for this? “Regardless, if anything I miss him more than anything, and I want him to be safe more than anything, but there’s nothing I can do about it because I. Don’t. Know.”

There was a moment where he looked around at the others, their expressions a mix of surprise and sorrow, as if they could see how much this meant to him. How much this honestly hurt him, when he realized that he didn’t have a chance to see Gladion, that nobody knew where he was. “I’m sorry, Ilima.”

“You’re just trying to keep our people safe, that’s all.” Shrugging he glanced away, folding his fingers together. “I just want to keep him safe, too, but I don’t know where to begin.”

“We begin by keeping him out of Melemele.” His mother’s tone was firm, the decision had been made up and there was no going back from there. “I want our ports on triple duties, checking everything, not allowing anyone in without proper papers and whatnot. Search each boat, multiple times if you have to. I want no chance of them bringing war on us, and I want Gladion to be safe. If that means he has to resign himself to a life on the sea then so be it.”

\---

Closing his eyes the blond felt the sea breeze across his face, the water spritzing on his face as they crashed over waves. How amazing was this, this life. The sun was a constant with only some storms, and freedom. At first he had been terrified of leaving, but now he had freedom and there was nothing more he could ever want more than that, at least when he thought about where he had been.

Now that he was away from Aether he had no desire to return there, why would he want to return to a place where his powers were not controlled? Where everyday he lived in some sort of fear. Here he felt safe, and that was the key to his control; no fear, no worries. He took a deep breath before leaning back and hopping off the side of he was standing on and grabbing a rope, giving it a tug and wrapping a hand around it to pull it tight until he settled in to tie it down and anchor it. Then he leaned onto the rail and sighed.  
“Gladion?” Straightening up he looked over his shoulder, taking in the green hair of N as he stood there. “Are you doing all right?” He had asked this everyday, and it was a kind gesture, but Gladion wasn’t really sure what he was hoping to get out of it.

“I’m fine, thanks.” That was a nod from the other, turning his back to him. “Hey…”

A pause.

“Why do you ask me that everyday?”

N paused, tilting his head to the side, considering his answer. “I just know what it’s like to be in a tricky situation with people you care deeply about. Not many people are brave enough to run like you did.” Gladion couldn’t look him in the eye as he spoke, thinking about his home life. Yet he knew nothing about N’s, the way he spoke told him he knew something very similar, and there was a craving to know what he had been through. “So I ask, because I see the struggle in your heart, and I want to help you any way I can.”

In truth he was shocked by such kindness, but perhaps this was a lesson he could adopt for his own learning. He had been damaged and scarred, and for now he was healing, learning himself for the first time without his mother telling him what he liked, what he wanted, and that what he did like was bad in and of itself. “Thank you.” For now, though, he needed to figure himself out before asking for any help. “Wait...can I have a piece of paper and pen?”

“Of course.”

\---

Melemele was frightened, Ilima realized this very quickly as he watched over the people who were bustling around the market; children gripped their mother’s skirts tighter than normal, mother’s bargained for more eggs than they could need for a day or two, and it broke Ilima’s heart. They were afraid of what was going on with Aether, and honestly he didn’t blame them, there was a looming war which meant rations, meant people being forced into combat.

“Ilima?” Turning in the saddle, he tilted his head towards the knight. “Your presence is requested at the castle.”

With a deep breath he tugged on the reins of his horse, turning him to follow the knight back towards the castle, pausing for a moment while he was examined, going over that he hadn’t gotten hurt and had brought nothing in on his person that he hadn’t left with or that was from Gladion. Of course they would never find anything from Gladion on him, he wasn’t that stupid and they should have realized that, but the let him pass through after noting he was clear.

That was when the knight guided him around to the backside, and past the stables to where they were entirely alone. “I was sent to give you this.” Then he produced a small piece of paper that looked charred at the edges, “it just showed up,” as he turned it in his hands he saw his name burned into it. “Didn’t want anyone else to see it.”

Nodding, he unfurled it, eyes widening at the one sentence on there.

_I’m coming to Melemele - Gladion._

\---

The small shipped made it’s way into the docks, greeted by officers. “Please gather your papers, and you and all people in your party please step off the ship.” N, as sweetly as Gladion had learned him to be, nodded and gave them a nice smile before disappearing into the ship and coming out with the paperwork.

“Is there a reason?” He asked as he stepped off, watching as they clambered onto the ship, beginning to look around. “There was no warning, and usually Hua’oli is a peaceful port. I’ve come here so many times and this is the strictest I’ve seen you boys.”

They stopped and looked at each other, before shoving off onto the boat and looking through the contents; N was about to repeat his question when the port master came up, asking for his papers to which he handed them over promptly, watching as they checked out. N was not a pirate or anything horrible, instead he was actually someone who studied the sea, the world, and every animal in it. There was nothing illegal on his boat and so he stood there, waiting, only to watch as the men clambered off tilting his head. “Find anything of interest in there?”

The first man who took him in did not seemed amused by his simple question, but he  
said nothing, instead choosing to simply glare and march off down the pier. The second, however, glared and stepped up to him, “I don’t know what you’re hiding, but whatever it is, we’re going to find it.”

_They couldn’t find what didn’t exist on there, right?_ Once he was in the clear N stepped back onto the boat to return his papers, and gather the bag of things that he had set aside for when he came ashore. Making sure his knots were secure and his ship wouldn’t drift away at any point, he set off out of the pier, and after a bit of navigating found his way to a small inn just down the road from the home of the royal family. Inside it was dingy, but it would work for what he as planning. Stepping up to the counter he ordered a room and some hot food to be delivered as soon as possible, and so taking the key he headed up the stairs and then let himself into the room. Pausing he set everything down and began to unpack, within his bag he had a smaller bag, setting that aside, only pausing to answer the door for food, but paid no mind when he heard someone else enter the room.

“Have you found everything you needed to find, Gladion?” he asked, finally turning his attention to the other in the room who was picking through the food, popping small bites into his mouth.

He had to consider everything in this moment, and so he wasn’t sure what to respond with; his mother had caught on faster than he had intended and so the entire situation had changed. “She knew I’d be coming here, she moved ahead of me and moved her army here. It’ll be harder to get to Ilima than I thought, but…”

“But?”

“I don’t think it’ll be so hard to get him on my side.” Out of the corner of his eye he could see N arch a brow, “Ilima is a good person, we were sort of friends when we were younger. I think he’ll understand if I could just have five minutes alone with him to explain what’s going on.”

“Now your struggle is just to find five minutes with him.”

\---

Five minutes to himself was all he was asking for at this point. Five minutes where he didn’t have a knight or a guard or his parents or even a common folk coming up to him and asking if everything was okay. That was all Ilima was looking for as he stood in the stables, gear in hand, eyeing the horses and taking a deep breath. If he got in trouble with is parents then so be it, because right now he needed to get away, and so he quickly saddled his horse and slid the bit into its mouth before swinging up into the saddle.

The path up the mountain was peaceful, relaxing, a place where he could actually breathe. Gently heading up the path he found that every second he moved away from the city the lighter he felt, freedom washed over him and he was no longer a prince, but a simple adventurer. He was out here on his own, nobody could tell him what to do here. He was so very free, and once he reached a plateau he stilled his horse to simply close his eyes and soak in these emotions, feeling how they rolled over him and he could bask in it. Opening his eyes he took in the sight, the city overlooking the sea, the white sails that dotted the ocean he could see that signified Aether’s presence.

Gladion was down there somewhere. Where Ilima wasn’t sure but he knew that down there was someone he wanted to help with all that he had, to the point where it caused his heart to ache. Turning away he guided his horse to continue up the mountain, further away from where he should be, but his heart knowing where he needed to be in this moment - the secret hideaway. 

Once he was there he sprawled out into the tall grass, closing his eyes and soaking in the peace, breathing in the fresh and wild scents that filled his head, leaving him slightly dizzy but feeling cleaner and more at peace than he had in a very long time. As he relaxed there, he allowed his mind to wander, images of Gladion as a child passing past his eyelids; there had been a time when they may have developed into more, when they were friends in passing.

Why had he sent him a note telling him he was coming here if not for the fact that he desperately needed help? Yes, Ilima had thought that maybe they would be something someday when they were younger, but they hadn’t grown close, they had drifted apart. His mother had ruined their chances together, but if he was reaching out to him then he must still remember him. Remember what they had once had, right? Taking a deep breath he allowed his thoughts to twist to back when they were children, back to when they knew each other as well as they could at the time.

As he lay there he felt a raindrop kiss his forehead, to which he wrinkled his nose and sat up. There was no reason for a prince to be caught in a rainstorm and so he knew it was time to begin his descent and back home, hopefully he would beat the rain. Swinging back up into the saddle he began his descent down the mountainside, only to be stopped at the gates by men in white and gold armor, larger than he would have expected. “Your grace, there’s something we must tell you.” The man who spoke to him was large, muscular, and he tilted his head. “Please allow us to escort you to the castle.”

Of course he had no choice but to accept this offer, they wouldn’t let him go regardless, so why attempt to fight them and bring more attention on himself? So he nodded and allowed them to take up either side of him, their horses close enough that he their legs brushed against him. Standing up in the saddle he squeezed his horse to trot a bit ahead of the men, they were not his guards, he had no reason for them to be so close to him, and he liked the idea of taking the lead anyways. Once they got to the castle, he swung out of the saddle and passed his horse over to a stable hand, then turned his attention to the guards. “What is it that you needed to talk to me about?”

The first man straightened, thinking himself rather important (of course) and Ilima arched a brow at that. “We’ve learned that there’s a suspicious stranger in the city, we think it’d be best if you kept a guard on you at all times.”

Perhaps if this was coming from someone who actually knew his Kingdom he’d take this with a bit more seriousness, but for right now he arched a brow and tilted his head to the side, “I do believe I know my own people. You’re new, everyone is a stranger to you. I will take your thought under consideration, but unless there’s a real threat I would rather you simply not get involved with the ongoings. You’re here for Gladion and nothing more, thank you for your concern.” Turning away he blinked as he realized that the rain had reached the city yet, and so Ilima gave a shrug. “I’m going for a walk, but I’ll keep the dangers of strangers in mind.”

\---

The City was one of Ilima’s favorite places to wander, the people were always happy to see him, and he was happy to give them his money. These were his people, and he loved them enough that he would lay down his life and keep them safe from any threat, and besides so long as it wasn’t raining it was a lovely city to spend the afternoon. As he strolled through the streets he was pounced on by children, which he scooped up, and greeted by mothers and shopkeepers alike - a peaceful nation and peaceful people, it broke his heart to hear them worried about Aether’s presence.

What he wasn’t expecting was to be grabbed the the sleeve and pulled down an alleyway, and he was not expecting to be greeted by eyes the color of emeralds and blond hair falling into his face. “Hey!” At first his mind didn’t process who it could be, only that he was startled. When he calmed down and actually took in the face of the other, his eyes widened. “Gladion,” barely breathed he shook his head, “you’re here.”

Gladion arched a brow, “I told you I was coming. I need your help.”

“Aether-”

“I know.”

“Then why come here?”

“Because I know I can trust you. Now listen to me,” he opened his mouth to keep talking, but then he stopped, eyes widening as he looked past Ilima’s shoulder. Glancing over his shoulder he saw that there were the two knights had followed him, and anger colored his features before then squaring his shoulders and turning on them. “Ilima…”

Yet he ignored the words of the blond as he moved forward, “who gave you the right to follow after me? I’ll have you know that this is going to end poor-” The two men shoved past him, aiming for Gladion instead, acting as if Ilima didn’t even exist. “I’m talking to you!” he called after them as he wheeled around, glaring at them. “You can’t just ignore me, I’m a prince!”

“Ilima.” Gladion’s tone caused him to stop, standing there and watching almost helplessly as the knights took his arms, noticing how tight they were grabbing him. “Let them.” Clearing his throat he glanced at the knights, closing his eyes almost as if he was concentrating, and for all Ilima didn’t understand he knew something was happening.

Before he knew what it was, though, he felt sudden pain run through him, and he didn’t know what was happening. What he knew was that he had not been looking up at the sky a few seconds ago, and now that’s all he saw. There were noises, but he couldn’t understand what those were, couldn’t put all the pieces in place. Then all of a sudden it changed again, his vision blocked by what looked to be the back of a head, and then green eyes flooded with panic. “Ilima? Stay with me.”  
Stay with him? Where was he going?

Feeling hands under him he was lifted up, just enough that he could see the scene before him and there was terror. It almost looked as if there had been some sort of explosion, pieces of knights and blood covering everywhere he looked, and so he glanced down at himself. The blood that covered his chest stained his clothes, and caused his stomach to churn, and if he had the energy he may have emptied the contents of his stomach. Yet he managed to not do so, instead he closed his eyes and allowed darkness to swim over him, taking him under to wherever he was destined to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this taking so long. See I got a really important internship and so that's taken up 100% of my time, but! I hope you all enjoy this!

**Author's Note:**

> I have been craving writing something high fantasy, and so I've been chipping away at this for a while to get it right and set up properly! Anyways I hope you enjoyed it because I had a lot of fun writing it. I may start posting snippets on my tumblr if people seem interested!


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